Conversations With Storytellers

This Conversation is with Mary Hamilton who is a storytelling veteran of 42 years at this point (2025). She has written a book on Kentucky folk tales, through a fellowship, and has won a number of awards, including the Kentucky School Media Association for her work in schools. Mary is not just a storyteller but also a producer. We talk about hard stories, and braiding stories and self-reflection. This conversation talks about Mary’s work, other storytellers, mentors, practice, and process. Right now, Mary is “getting stories out of [her] mouth” as she prepares for the Cave Run Festival and Timpanogos where she and I are two of the many storytellers who will be performing in Lehi, Utah. Mary’s website: https://maryhamilton.info/ And some folks and events which Mary mentions in this conversation. Timpanogos Storytelling Festival, 4th - 6th September, 2025: https://timpfest.org/ Cave Run, 26th - 27th Sept, 2025: https://www.caverunstoryfest.org/ Liz Lerman’s website (critical response): https://lizlerman.com Doug Lipman’s website: https://storydynamics.com/ Laura Simms’ website: https://www.laurasimms.com/ Indivisible: https://indivisible.org/ 50501: https://www.fiftyfifty.one/ I hope you enjoy this episode!

It's smoking hot today, Tuesday 24th. For June we are breaking all records so far. It's 33 degrees C, 92 degrees F. Although the humidity started high at 77%, it has dropped down to 50 % for which the pets and myself are thankful. Moe and I did not get to do a big walk because of this, however, we did find a pool which kept us cool, at least for a while! This old folktale "Three Heads in the Well" can be found in Joseph Jacobs', English Fairy Tales, 1898 (from Halliwell chapbook - page 158). Have you ever found anything unusual in a well or pool? Stay safe out there! Simon

Hello friends! Here we are with our latest episode of Conversations with Storytellers. I think/hope you will like this episode, and if you are traveling this weekend, it will keep you, hopefully, entertained for a little more than an hour. And if you are not traveling, same thing applies! Margaret Read MacDonald - what isn't there to say about her - storyteller, writer, librarian, inspiration, source of so many stories and super lady! She has traveled broadly around the world gathering and listening to stories from other tellers and as a result has over 67 published books, and over 13 awards for her extensive work. Margaret has an MA in Library Science, another in Education, a PhD in folklore and is the recipient of a Fulbright Scholarship. She is also the mother of two storytellers! For some strange and annoying reason my mic was crackling, so I apologise for that. Please welcome, Margaret Read MacDonald! www.margaretreadmacdonald.com/

Csenge (pronounced Chen-gah) Zalka, is one of our younger storytellers, but also one of those whose work goes deep. Csenge is from Hungry and she works with primary source, archival material to create the work she presents. Csenge is the first International Hungarian storyteller, she spent a year in the USA studying storytelling, had published her book at age 27, created an international festival in Budapest, has an MA in archaeology, and has a ton of other books since published. Oh, and she tells wonderful stories. Csenge and I first met when I went to the NSN Storytelling Conference back in, I don't know when. I saw her and American storyteller Rachel Ann Harding telling a set of tales together and was intrigued.  I followed her blog for a long time – the Multi-colored Diary, and every once in a while, we would ping each other. And I really wanted to get her feelings on the subject of folk and fairy tales, myths and legends and hear what it is like being an international storyteller in Hungry. The Multicolored Diary: https://multicoloreddiary.blogspot.com/ Csenge’s website: https://www.zalkacsenge.hu/storyteller-english/ I hope you enjoy the episode! Simon

Ben Haggerty is one of the premier storytellers from the UK, one of the founders of the London based Crick Crack Club. He has run and created festivals and was a major force in helping the UK storytelling renaissance. He has mentored many tellers, and even written a graphic novel. He brought Duncan Williamson, Scottish traveller storyteller, to English audiences, amongst others. I don’t want to spoil what we get into, but we went deep into the craft. Sadly we didn't get to talk about projects such as his graphic novels, but he left us with a lot to think about. I hope you enjoy this episode. Ben can be found at: https://benhaggarty.com/

Hi friends, I am moving my other podcast, this podcast, Lindyline, a story podcast to this channel. A sort of two for one. It began as a very long story then turned into short episodes of stories and poems for children, and adults who wanted to unwind (so I have been told)! This episode is a very gently changed (for the telling) Timothy Tabbycat a story first published in 1947, written under the pen name of CAM. The author's full name is Barbara Mary Campbell. It's about a cat named Timothy and his human friend Willy Straw and how they are invited to help rescue a hare who lives in the moon. This is a book my mum had as a kid and one she would read to my brother and me, and it is still one of my favourites. I think a lot of it has to do with all the hidden bits, the rich colours, the 'wonderfilled' artwork! And of course the dragon. If you want to see the pictures from the book, Tarrington Books scanned all the pages, so you can see what I saw growing up. I hope you love the illustrations and story as much as I do. https://www.flickr.com/photos/tarringtonbooks/8169356047/in/photostream/ The whole book is there. All the best, and until next time... Peace, Simon

Dan Yashinsky is a self-proclaimed ex-hippy, originally from California, he is young at heart and has been telling stories for as long as he can remember. His interest was telling stories for adults and because if you don’t have a venue for telling stories, one needs to make one. Dan created several venues for telling. He has written and edited books, won countless awards and is a very well-respected and popular storyteller throughout the world. Unfortunately, it turned out we didn’t have long to talk, however, we covered a lot in the short amount of time we had. Dan mentions Bob Barton, Joan Bodger and Alice Kane amongst others, and there was a book we could not remember the title of. Written by Ms. Bodger it is called: “How the Heather Looks” and talks about her travels in the UK visiting sights where British children’s literature took place. We talk about developing the language of stories, words, and how we should “never give the audience an ace when a 2 will do…” (so the audience can remain in the story themselves). We also asked, what are we doing as emerging storytellers in this still beginning, in Dan's words, renaissance of storytelling? Reach out to Dan at his website: https://tellery.com/dan-yashinsky/ And the video he talks about regarding his stories and his partner’s dance: https://www.youtube.com/@AnnemarieCabri The book he recommends by Alice Kane: https://broadviewpress.com/product/the-dreamer-awakes/#tab-description If you are interested in telling in Toronto and maybe seeing Dan- https://1001fridays.org/wordpress/ And lastly, but not least (ly!) I hope you enjoy this episode of Conversations with Storytellers. Peace, Simon

Shonaleigh comes from an old Jewish tradition.  Hailing from Britain, she is a Drut'syla (pronounced Dreet-zella). who was taught around 3,000 stories by her Bubbe, Eldith Marks. These stories are told traditionally in cycles. Some stories are short, but some are incredibly long. They make the Odyssey look like a Saturday morning cartoon. Shonaleigh was a delight to chat with, and I hope you enjoy this episode of "Conversations with Storytellers." You can find more of her work including videos and audio recordings at https://shonaleigh.uk/ If you want to join Twilight Tales with Shonaleigh, you can join the group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/twilighttales/ And my work is, as always, at Diamondscree.com Peace, Simon

Antonio Rocha has created a masterful piece of storytelling about a slave ship called Malaga. There is a connection between the ship and Antonio and this plays into his telling. I cannot wait to share this conversation with you. Antonio began life as a mime, then became a storyteller. In 2020 he discovered a story about a slave ship which was built in Maine, where he now lives, and operated between the States and Brazil, where he grew up. His heritage is part African. This episode is about his research and the story and what it meant to him to be able to tell this story.

I have been seeing and bumping into Fran Stallings for a long while and have had one or two conversations with her and we have talked about doing this for a long time. On this episode, unfortunately there is a popping sound from, I think, Fran's microphone. It came over on the recording and I couldn’t always get rid of it. Apologies for staticky tech! Also, we talked about suffragettes and I mis-spoke causing Fran to misspeak. I mis-pronounced Emily, or Emmeline Pankhurst’s name, it is not Parkhurst! Emily Pankhurst never met Susan B Anthony, the former coming to the United States a few years after Susan B Anthony’s death. Fran Stallings started as a biologist hoping to dance. She is a well respected storyteller and tells stories she heard and collected in Japan from Hiroko Fujita, other folk tales, stories to help save the environment, and the occasional personal story. Fran started telling stories as a teacher, then to her kids, and earned money as a professional towards the beginning of the renaissance in the early 1980’s. She's still at it. She is a wonderfully warm person and great teller of traditional tales. Here, she shares her journey and connection to Japanese stories and Hiroko Fujita, and her environmental work. Fran shares her work process and why folk and fairy tales are important to her. I hope you enjoy this conversation with Fran Stallings.

Joseph Bruchac is one of the preeminent Native storytellers in the USA. He is part Slovak and part Abenaki. He is a keeper of Native traditional tales, marched with Martin Luther King Jr., told poetry with Robert Bly and is one of my favourite storytellers and writers. Did you know he drove (and maybe still drives) a Harley, and taught in Ghana? Now you do! Find out other fascinating things about Joseph in this wonderful interview. Not to be missed!

Raised in Clayton, New York, Regi Carpenter came from the school of scrappy, studied music, but became a storyteller! Although steeped in folk and fairy tales, myths and legends, she also tells deep personal narrative. Digging deep in the well of truth she brings her love of language to all the tales she tells, and shares with us her two very different processes on learning stories, whether it’s a folk tale, or personal story. Regi also shares a folk tale. I hope you enjoy this episode. Regi’s website: https://regicarpenter.com/

I had been hearing about Doug for a while, and then heard his harmonica at a festival, then briefly met with him at said festival. I bought one of his CDs and loved what he did, and decided we should hear his voice here! Doug is a humble man with a deep knowledge of the woods, marshes, swamps, rainforests and a deep desire to show the human connection with the world about us through storytelling. There’s a fair bit about vultures, or peace eagles, and I get to show off how ignorant I am about nature! One of Doug's motos: "Life is like playing a harmonica - you find a good note and wail on it!" Doug's website: https://dougelliott.com/ Doug's books and CDs: https://dougelliott.com/shop/

I first heard Michael D McCarty, laugh. It was in a far off room so I followed the sound and listened to him impart joy and happiness upon all around him. There was, and is, some sort of magical aura he gives off, and it is quite wonderful. Originally from Chicago, and now of Los Angeles, Michael first wanted to be a physicist, or an astronaut, and became a Black Panther, an acupuncturist, and storyteller. There are very few people even remotely like Michael, and we only touched on a small part of what he’s done. We talked comics, reading, giving away books, gangs, racism, and how importnat mothers are, and could have talked about a lot of other things too.   Michael's website is: http://havemouthwillrunit.com/

Eldrena Douma (pronounced Dow-MAH) is of the Tewa, Hopi and Laguna people of the South West. This, part two of another two part interview, covers Why Native American stories should not be told by those not within their community. Over the course of the two episodes we talk about story and what story means to the Pueblo people. Eldrena also talks about her (great?) grandmother who pretty much saved the art of Pueblo pottery, and how Eldrena now creates her own animal stories to share her culture and world. There's a lot of history in these conversations. I hope you enjoy them. Eldrena's website: https://www.eldrenadouma.com/

Eldrena Douma (pronounced Dow-MAH) is of the Tewa, Hopi and Laguna people of the South West. This, part one of another two part interview, covers a lot of history of Eldrena's upbringing, and growing up between Winslow and First Mesa. Over the course of the two episodes we talk about story and what story means to the Pueblo people and why some First Americans do not like their stories told outside of their people and community. Eldrena also talks about her (great?) grandmother who pretty much saved the art of Pueblo pottery, and how Eldrena now creates her own animal stories to share her culture and world. There's a lot of history in these conversations. I hope you enjoy them. Eldrena's website: https://www.eldrenadouma.com/

This is part two of the Conversation with Joel ben Izzy. If you haven’t listened to part one, please do so, as you won’t know what’s going on. The last episode ended on a cliff hanger! Joel hales from the West Coast, living in California. He’s been telling stories for a long time. Then he lost his his voice with thyroid cancer. This is part one of his journey, process and love of tales. Filled with stories, compassion and a lot of joking around, this episode also includes a dating tip for LA! Joel’s website: https://www.storypage.com/

Joel ben Izzy is a storyteller from California and has been telling stories for a long time. Then he lost his his voice with thyroid cancer. This is part one of a long conversation of his journey, process and love of tales. Filled with stories, compassion and a lot of joking around, this is part one of two episodes with Joel. Joel’s website: https://www.storypage.com/

Sebastian Lockwood is not British, although he sounds VERY British. Sebastian is one who tells the Epics! From the Odyssey and Gilgamesh to Beowulf and beyond. Sebastian raised an owl, talks about getting into trance when storytelling and about being twice born. Our conversation took place in a small cabin in New Hampshire sitting next to a stove, crackling away and amongst all this we also talked about going to school in England.

In this episode we conclude the conversation with Alton Chung, a Japanese-Korean storyteller who grew up with the stories, superstitions, and the magic of the Hawaiian Islands. If you missed part one, please go back and have a listen, it is fascinating. Tales about World War II fighters from the Asian-American people, and people of Hawaii, amongst other things like ghost stories. In this episode we get into folk and fairy tales, the healing power of story and story structure amongst other things! Sit back and enjoy part two of my conversation with Alton Chung.   https://www.altonchung.com/